


The bastard prince

by boxofwonder



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Arranged Marriage, As always Hinata is way too good at getting under Ushijima's skin, M/M, Pre-Slash, royal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 03:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15380124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boxofwonder/pseuds/boxofwonder
Summary: No matter how level-headed a prince Ushijima might be, the first meeting with the crown prince of Karasuno, his future fiancé, turns into a heated clash of will and ideology.





	The bastard prince

**Author's Note:**

  * For [talonyth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/talonyth/gifts).



> This fic is a year and a half old! I wrote it prompted by my best friend back then because I despaired that I'd never published or even written Ushihina much even though I ADORE them. Finally that's getting fixed~

The heavy sound of the door falling shut behind Ushijima and entombing him in silence made him fear the loss of every inch of composure he was known for. Being able to remain steady and level-headed in the face of any challenge was necessary for a crown prince groomed to take over the largest kingdom known along these shores.

But this -  _ this -  _

He had managed to keep his face still the entire time he had been led around this foreign palace, nodding and occasionally prompting further explanation, keeping his thought to himself. Had endured being showered with treats and food and little trinkets, all typical for this country. The gems harvested in its mines, carved into frivolous jewelry, the useless little vials blown from colourful glass it was known for. The entire palace was bursting with colours, as if this entire land had never heard of something such as dignity. 

And the worst of all - in this quiet - the crown prince of Karasuno faced him, hands in tight fists at his sides, eyes blazing. “How  _ dare  _ you come into my palace and treat it with such little respect?”

Respect?

Ushijima turned, levelling a cool gaze on the noisy prince. 

No dignity. No manners. Not even height to consider. At least having been sent away to be able to spend a few minutes only with each other relieved Ushijima of the burden to have to hold back on the truth. 

Expecting dreamy emotions to accompany his political marriage would have been ridiculous.  It was merely a mean to an end, to ensure the bloody war that had ravaged both their countries could be laid to rest. 

But Ushijima would not have dared to anticipate a match as daunting, as unworthy, as ridiculous and  _ irritating  _ as Hinata Shouyou. 

After half a day, all Ushijima yearned to do was to take him on in a sparring match and teach him his proper place. Teach that loose mouth some actual  _ respect.  _

To think Ushijima would be stuck having someone like  _ this  _ by his side.

“You have not met me with any respect,” Ushijima replied pointedly. After all, the prince had been  _ late  _ to meet his fiancé. Such was Karasuno’s loose schooling - combined with the fact that the Hinata family had been meant to be mere  _ farmers.  _ It was still evident in their blood that they had not been born royalty, but snatched this place and kept it. “My behaviour, however, has been -”

“Oh, shove it!” Prince Hinata ran his hands through his wild, bright hair - he truly  _ looked  _ the part of belonging to this country’s very heart. Unnecessarily bold and loud, and acting as if that gave him any right to take up more space in this world than was granted to him. “I’m not happy about this either! I couldn’t care less about some political farce meaning I’m supposed to share a bed with a random stranger!” He grit his teeth and took a deep breath. “But I’ll do it.” The bastard prince’s eyes were burning as they snapped up to Ushijima’s. “For my country. For my people’s peace. As do you. But I won’t let you look down on us.” 

How this man could even dream he had any right to stand on equal footing with Ushijima -

“You are unruly,” Ushijima said, everything he had held back on finally able to be put plainly. “This crown rose from a squabble and nothing more. Three generations ago, your blood was still toiling the soil and tending to animals, covered in dirt. Three generations ago, my own was ruling with strength, by right of their birth. I know what it means to be royal.” He took a step closer, so he could look down on the prince in the most literal sense of the word. “I will accept this fate with dignity because it is the will of my mother, the Queen. I will partake in this frivolous arrangement for the sake of foreign relations. But I will  _ not  _ accept you as a prince, or my equal.” 

Hinata Shouyou was  _ vibrating  _ with anger. There was not a single subtle bone in his body, no emotion hidden. Everything he felt, he carried at the tip of his tongue, just inviting for foreign relations to get strained by a thoughtless word, or an assassin to become inspired by such honesty. 

Ushijima had watched the bastard prince go out of his way to snatch an apple from a servant passing by, her blonde head bobbing with embarrassed laughter as he stood there, chatting idly, while his fiancé and the entire delegation from Shiratorizawa had been watching, waiting. Without a care. He had noisily been chewing on the apple until he had eaten it, and tossed the rest away. 

Lesser people would have left, would have let this country run itself into the ground. They were smaller, infinitely so, than Shiratorizawa. Offering this peace treaty was pure kindness of his mother. 

And Hinata Shouyou still acted as if Ushijima had  _ wronged  _ him. 

“I never thought I’d fall in love or anything,” Hinata Shouyou growled. “But I didn’t think I’d hate you this much. I will show you. I will force you to acknowledge me.” 

Ushijima only levelled him with another cold gaze. That comment did not warrant anything else. “Your ways may hold up here, but your frivolous behaviour has no place at my court. Your new home. I hope that a proper court can teach you some manners, and teach you how to survive in the world of true royalty.”

Not that this prince would ever be anything more than a nuisance Ushijima would be stuck with, for the rest of his days. Perhaps he would tire himself out in the gardens, or become so torn by the twisted scape of a proper court that he would run away, back home, and Ushijima would be able to leave this arrangement by no fault of his own.

There was always hope in the world, after all. 

But until then, he would be forced to endure that noisy brat and his farmer’s blood playing at being ruler. 

“Someday someone’s gonna wipe that expression of your face,” Hinata spat, whirling around and striding back towards the door. Before he yanked it open, he turned around, glaring. “And I promise it’ll be me, Your Highness.” 

**Author's Note:**

> And then they slowburn from enemies to friends to lovers. Though possibly from enemies to friends with benefits to a confusing territory of ??? and then ?!?!?! and eventually lovers and confidants who balance each others weaknesses and strengths perfectly. /throws confetti
> 
> (Also Yacchan will remain by Hinata's side when he goes to live in Ushijima's palace.)


End file.
